December 28, 2014 —
Nevada – the driest state – has no statewide water plan —Nevada is suffering from a debilitating drought, experiencing the impacts of a warming climate and, some say, is deficient when it comes to long-term water planning for the state as a whole. Debate is mounting over the need to begin development of a comprehensive water plan taking into account available water supplies, drought, climate projections and development that will tap limited water resources across the nation's most arid state. "Our suggestion is rather than a silo approach we need a much broader approach," said Steve Bradhurst, executive director of the eight-county Central Nevada Regional Water Authority, which encompasses 65 percent of Nevada's land mass — By Jeff DeLong, Reno Gazette Journal

December 28, 2014 —A Colorado River Basin shortage did occur this year -- in New Mexico — While the first shortage of the Central Arizona Project has been delayed a couple of years by a groundbreaking, three-state water conservation agreement, New Mexico's San Juan-Chama water diversion project, which serves farmers and the city of Albuquerque, wasn't so lucky — Tucson.com

December 20, 2014 —Tesla battery factory near Reno will gulp water — RENO: The massive Tesla battery factory being built in Northern Nevada will be a thirsty resident, with some preliminary estimates saying it will require the equivalent of nearly half of the groundwater rights allocated to its Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center neighborhood — RJ.com

December 19, 2014 — Feds ink $300 million Windy Gap water diversion out of Colorado River — Federal water authorities signed off Friday on the $300 million Windy Gap Firming Project to siphon more water out of the Colorado River Basin into a huge new reservoir for the high-growth Front Range. The west-flowing river water — up to 8.4 billion gallons a year pumped back eastward and under the Continental Divide — is expected to meet the needs of 400,000 residents around Broomfield, Longmont, Loveland and Greeley — DenverPost.com

December 17, 2014 —
I-Team: Water pipeline leads to years of court battles — The Southern Nevada Water Authority is moving ahead with plans to import water to the Las Vegas valley from underground aquifers in rural parts of Nevada. But is the plan still workable after decades of court battles over the environmental impact of a giant pipeline? . . . "The water of the state of Nevada belongs to the people of the state of Nevada," said John Entsminger, SNWA general manager. "Seven out of every 10 people live here in the Las Vegas valley."— 8NewsSnow.com

. . . "This pipeline is going to cost in excess of $16 billion to build and the water it's going to pump is of very limited nature and the reason you are pumping it is to sustain unreasonable growth in the Las Vegas valley. It just doesn't make sense," said Rob Mrowka, Center for Biological Diversity. Critics of the pipeline say sucking water out of rural aquifers will dry up streams and wells vital to wildlife and agriculture. "It is never going to be built for a number of reasons; the impact on the environment and rural communities is one," Mrowka said. "But even more, it doesn't make economic sense." — 8NewsSnow.com

December 17, 2014 —States in Parched Southwest Take Steps to Bolster Lake Mead — With a 14-year drought in the Colorado River basin showing few signs of breaking, states along the river’s path are taking new steps this month to ensure that Lake Mead — the Colorado River reservoir that is the water source for much of the Southwest — does not fail them — NyTimes.com

December 13, 2014 —The water question: Tapping into one of Utah's biggest challenges — SALT LAKE CITY — As the snow this weekend finally begins to fall in the mountains and Utah hopes for a banner snowpack this year, water managers know one season will not douse the challenges the state faces when it comes to water. Utah is wrestling with a multibillion-dollar problem with solutions that are rarely appealing — pipeline construction, higher water rates or restrictions on watering — but they are priorities that may emerge as the state's leaders begin to grapple with the enormity of the challenge ahead — DesertNews.com
[More Coverage — The water question: The staggering problem of determining water rights— DesertNews.com]

December 12, 2014 —Colorado River states worry about continuing drought LAS VEGAS — Amid worries that crucial multi-state water agreements are beginning to erode due to concerns about supply and ongoing drought, representatives of seven Colorado River basin states are emphasizing cooperation during annual meetings this week in Las Vegas — Standard.net

December 12, 2014 —Report: Colorado River experiment brings life to delta —Dry swaths of Mexico's Colorado River delta revived by an experimental gush of water last spring already show signs of ecological improvements, according to a report released this week — Azcentral.com

December 11, 2014 — Colorado River allocations banked in Lake Mead — A major agreement on how to combat the shrinking water level at Lake Mead was reached Thursday. The pact involved states like Nevada that draw water from the Colorado River — 8NewsSnow.com

December 10, 2014 —Water Authority Board Approves Pump Station, Rate Hike — Citing the need to protect the community’s water supply from uncertainty on the Colorado River, Southern Nevada Water Authority board members voted Wednesday to build a new $650 million pump station at Lake Mead and raise rates to pay for it. . . . The committee’s other recommendations included:

Sustaining efforts to conserve water in the community;

Cooperating with other water agencies and states in the region to boost the Colorado River;

December 09, 2014 — EDITORIAL:Pumping Station a Critical Need; Rate Hike a Must — The Southern Nevada Water Authority wants another rate increase, [too] — on top of those imposed the past two years — to build a $650 million pumping station at Lake Mead that would allow the valley to continue drawing water from the shrinking reservoir — RJ.com

December 09, 2014 — With future uncertain, Colorado shields its water DENVER — With demand increasing across the West, Colorado is drawing up a strategy to keep some of the trillions of gallons of water that gushes out of the Rocky Mountains every spring — most of which flows downstream to drought-stricken California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico — AP [More Coverage— SaveTheColorado.org]

December 09, 2014 —Cities look to farms for help in Colorado River drought — As the Colorado River grinds into what could be its 15th year of drought, the West’s biggest water agencies are finalizing a major new agreement to boost water levels in Lake Mead, on the Arizona-Nevada border. Water bosses will likely announce the deal at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference, which begins this Wednesday in Las Vegas —hcn.org

December 09, 2014 —Is Las Vegas betting the Colorado River will go dry? — Las Vegas is a city that plays the odds, and if you want to know which odds to play, you need to follow the smart money. Unfortunately, that money seems to be moving toward building yet more dams that will drain yet more water out of an already oversubscribed Colorado River —hcn.org

December 08, 2014 —Colorado's first water plan 'a good first step' — The final draft of Colorado's first formal water plan will be delivered to Gov. John Hickenlooper this week, and it's being characterized by water experts as a "good first step" toward building state-wide consensus on what can and must be done to meet the needs of a growing population — Bizjournals

December 06, 2014 —Las Angeles, City of Water — LOS ANGELES is the nation’s water archvillain . . . Recently, however, Los Angeles has reduced its reliance on outside sources of water. It has become, of all things, a leader in sustainable water management, a pioneer in big-city use of cost-effective, environmentally beneficial water conservation, collection and reuse technologies. Some combination of these techniques is the most plausible path to survival for all the cities of the water-depleted West — NyTimes.com

December 05, 2014 —California drought the worst in 1,200 years, new study says — The last three years of drought were the most severe that California has experienced in at least 1,200 years, according to a new scientific study published Thursday. The study provides the state with breathtaking new historical context for its low reservoirs and sinking water tables, even as California celebrated its first good soaking of the season — MercuryNews.com [Related Story]

December 04, 2014 —Utilities Worry Water's Becoming Unaffordable — Water bills have increased faster than any other and show no signs of slowing down, hitting low-income Americans the hardest. . . . Between 2001 and 2011, water bills grew the fastest as a percentage of income for the poorest customers. Water expenses grew faster than all other utility bills for low-income Americans except electricity — Governing.com

November 24, 2014 —New pump at Lake Mead could mean water rate increase — LAS VEGAS -- Water users could soon be paying more for their water usage . . The Southern Nevada Water Authority says the project could be the last resort if Lake Mead water levels continue to drop. That increase could start next year. This is in addition to the money currently being reflected on bills for a current project underway at Lake Mead — 8NewsNow.com

November 21, 2014 —The supply doesn't exist for California water storage expansion — California's approval of a $7.5 billion water bond has bolstered prospects for expanding reservoirs and groundwater storage, but the drought-prone state can effectively use no more than a 15 percent increase in surface water storage capacity because of lack of water to fill it, according to a new analysis released Nov. 20. — Phys.org

November 19, 2014 — In Our View: Water hogs According to a recently released report from the United States Geological Survey, Utahns are water hogs. The USGS report, one of a series of reports on water use released by the government agency every five years, details information recorded in their 2010 survey — The Spectrum.com

November 17, 2014 —California's drought has reached Biblical-plague proportions. It's time for a drastic measure — Last January, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a State of Emergency following projections of severe drought. State bureaucrats and local officials jumped into action and mandated any number of water conservation tactics. While some have been relatively successful, most will do nothing. In fact, it appears that despite the drought, water use may have actually increased in the past year — TheWeek.com

November 16, 2014 Depleting the water — Lesley Stahl reports on disturbing new evidence that our planet's groundwater is being pumped out much faster than it can be replenished [16 min Video, CBS News] [Related Story]

November 14, 2014 —New dust-busting method ends L.A.'s longtime feud with Owens Valley Owens Lake resolution — Los Angeles ended a bitter dispute with Owens Valley on Friday with the announcement of a truce in a decades-long dispute over water and dust. Under an agreement between the city and Owens Valley air quality regulators, Los Angeles will use a new, organic method of suppressing airborne dust from the dry bed of Owens Lake, which L.A. drained to slake its thirst in the last century — LA Times.com

November 14, 2014 —Governors team up to tackle drought crisis — California, Nevada governors join forces to address drought's effect on agriculture SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The governors of California and Nevada met Thursday at a forum aimed at coming up with the best ways to cope with the unprecedented drought affecting the western U.S., now in its third year.

"I think the drought will test our imagination and our science, our technology and our political capacity to collaborate," California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, said in opening remarks— AP

November 11, 2014 —
Entsminger sees valley’s water glass as half full
— Global warming threatens to turn the parched West to toast. Lake Mead’s infamous bathtub ring has been there so long it no longer shocks the sensibilities. And Southern Nevada’s endless thirst has officials considering a controversial, multibillion-dollar pipeline from rural counties that has critics conjuring references to “Chinatown.” But, all things considered, Las Vegas Valley Water District General Manager John Entsminger is feeling pretty good these days. No, really — RJ.com

November 10, 2014 — MECCA, Calif. — Preserving an Accident, the Salton Sea in California, for the Good of Nature — The area around this town of date palms attracts two kinds of migrants ÿhundreds of humans who work the land, and millions of birds that stop to rest and gorge at the nearby Salton Sea. The sea is a 110-year-old, increasingly briny, shallow lake that covers 350 square miles but is dwindling fast — NyTimes.com

November 10, 2014 —California’s sweeping new groundwater regulationsWill the law finally mean better aquifer management for the drought-stricken state? With dust blowing from the Central Valley’s fallow fields and fires ravaging the Sierra Nevada, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of bills in September that effectively end unrestricted groundwater pumping in the state. “This is a big deal,” said Brown at the signing ceremony. “It has been known for decades that underground water has to be managed in some way.” Now, there’s a statewide framework for aquifer management — hcn.org

November 10, 2014 —USGS launches a billion-dollar initiative to map the West in 3D
LIDAR is about to become more widespread -- helping agriculture, pilots and homeowners. LIDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, uses lasers to create intricate three-dimensional maps in places where bad weather or thick vegetation hampered traditional aerial mapping — hcn.org

November 05, 2014 —Peak Water: United States Water Use Drops to Lowest Level in 40 Years — The most important trend in the use of water is the slowly unfolding story of peak water in the United States and elsewhere. Data on US water use are compiled every five years by the US Geological Survey, covering every state and every sector of the economy. The latest data – for 2010 – have just been released, and they show the continuation and acceleration of a stunning trend: US water withdrawals, for all purposes, are declining, not growing — HuffingtonPost.com

November 01, 2014 —Reslicing a smallish pie: Changes for the shrinking Colorado River — What gives on the Colorado River? A recent study in Colorado, which provides half of the water in the river, found no trend in precipitation. Yet reservoirs on the river and its tributaries, especially the giant impoundments of Mead and Powell, have been declining such that water agencies from Denver to Los Angeles have formulated emergency measures — mountaintownnews.net

October 27, 2014 —New Coalition Spotlights Threats To Colorado River — SALT LAKE CITY – A new coalition of several organizations called Colorado River Connected is focused on raising awareness about critical issues affecting the historic river, which serves millions of people living in Utah and several other Western states — PublicNewsService.org

October 26, 2014 —[OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR]The Land Grab Out West — ALBUQUERQUE – LIKE a rerun of a bad Western, the battle over ownership of America’s public lands has revived many a tired and false caricature of those of us whose livelihoods and families are rooted in the open spaces of the West — By Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, is a United States senator from New Mexico — NY Times.com

October 23, 2014 —Mega-Water Utilities Join to Fund Colorado River Conservation Projects — Denver Water will join with Central Arizona Project, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Southern Nevada Water Authority and Reclamation to put forward some $11 million to fund new Colorado River water conservation projects — InewsNetwork.org

October 18, 2014 —[News Release] Ranchers, Activists Decry the “Mother of all Military Land Grabs” "On its face, this land grab is unnecessary and unjustified," said Steve Erickson of the Citizens Education Project. . . “We hear that the Air Force wants to own these lands to protect the UTTR from encroachment, but this land grab would be an unwarranted encroachment upon the residents of Snake Valley,” according to Callao rancher Annette Garland . . . Garland is also worried about the potential impact or loss of access to water rights. Snake Valley residents have been in a ten-year fight to prevent their groundwater from being exported to Las Vegas.
View the Map

October 17, 2014 —
These maps of water use show why the Western US is in trouble
— The American West has been wrestling with drought for the past 15 years. California is now facing its worst dry spell in at least a century. So, not surprisingly, the question of how best to manage America's scarce freshwater supplies is coming up more frequently. To that end, the Hamilton Project recently published a helpful primer, "Nine Economic Facts about Water in the United States." The whole thing's worth reading, but four maps and charts in particular stuck out. For starters, some of the driest states in the West actually have some of the highest rates of household water use — Vox.comRelated Story —HEY, AMERICA: IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE PRICE OF WATER by Cynthia Barnett

October 14, 2014 —The Risks of Cheap Water — This summer, California’s water authority declared that wasting water — hosing a sidewalk, for example — was a crime. Next door, in Nevada, Las Vegas has paid out $200 million over the last decade for homes and businesses to pull out their lawns. It will get worse. As climate change and population growth further stress the water supply from the drought-plagued West to the seemingly bottomless Great Lakes, states and municipalities are likely to impose increasingly draconian restrictions on water use — NY Times.com

October 10, 2014 —Latest study should further dampen Las Vegas’ appetite for rural groundwater — A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey published this summer has added credence and hard numbers to the arguments from opponents to a plan by Las Vegas water utilities to tap 84,000 acre-feet of groundwater from valleys in White Pine and Lincoln counties — By Thomas Mitchell , Published in the Ely Times

It’s a question readers ask almost every time there’s a discussion of water use in the Silver State. They wonder whether investing in seawater desalination today makes more sense in the long run than tapping into politically untenable and possibly unreliable sources of water from our already parched region — By JOHN L. SMITH
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

October 08, 2014 —Colorado River water-conservation effort to begin — Providers of municipal water in Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado are starting a conservation program for the Colorado River system. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Wednesday began soliciting project proposals for water conservation from Colorado River entitlement holders in Arizona, California and Nevada. Water users in the river's Upper Basin will be invited to participate in the agreement at a later date — AP

October 07, 2014 —Lake Mead rings in 50 years as recreation area — The view of Lake Mead was not so different 50 years ago. On Oct. 8, 1964, the day Congress voted to designate the country’s largest man-made reservoir as its first National Recreation Area, visitors also were struck by the sight of a giant white bathtub ring marking where water used to be — LRJ.com

October 05, 2014 —
Hoover Dam delivered, but Nevada could have gotten more — Editor’s Note: Nevada 150 is a yearlong series highlighting the people, places and things that make up the history of the state.The most important structure ever built in Nevada is barely in Nevada at all. As large as it is, the entirety of Hoover Dam — the power plant, spillways, support structures and the dam itself — covers less than one square mile, and roughly half of that is in Arizona — By HENRY BREAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

October 05, 2014 —In virtual mega-drought, California avoids defeat — A few years ago a group of researchers used computer modeling to put California through a nightmare scenario: Seven decades of unrelenting mega-drought similar to those that dried out the state in past millennia. "The results were surprising," said Jay Lund, one of the academics who conducted the study. The California economy would not collapse. The state would not shrivel into a giant, abandoned dust bowl. Agriculture would shrink but by no means disappear — LA Times

October 05, 2014 —Subsurface water intakes feasible for desalination plant, study finds — A study regarding a controversial proposed desalination plant in Huntington Beach determined that subsurface intakes are technically feasible for the project. A panel of experts selected by the California Coastal Commission and plant builder Poseidon Water concluded that two types of systems — seabed and beach intakes — are possible to build at the proposed site, according to a draft report published Sept. 22 — LA Times

October 03, 2014 —Op-ed: We tried to tell you about Snake Valley water — We sincerely appreciate The Salt Lake Tribune’s coverage of proposed groundwater pumping in Spring and Snake Valleys in eastern Nevada and western Utah. The recent editorial (“The water in Snake Valley should stay in Snake Valley,” Sept. 25) and Sept. 23 article are excellent examples of this. We also welcome reports by the U.S. Geological Survey and Utah Geological Survey upon which the Sept. 23 article draws. Notably, both studies illustrate the sensitivity of Snake Valley to excess pumping — SLT

October 03, 2014 — Report warns of damages from pumping aquifer water to LV — The Southern Nevada Water Authority’s expensive plan to pipe water from Northern Nevada and western Utah to Las Vegas Valley spigots appears to have sprung another leak. A recently released study by the U.S. Geological Survey that analyzed the potential impact on the region the SNWA is looking to tap makes it clear the Las Vegas water grab would substantially damage the regional aquifer — By JOHN L. SMITH, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

October 02, 2014 —Good intentions, bad information & the declining waters of Lake Mead — For Brad Udall, family history and public policy in the Colorado River mingle. His father was Morris K. Udall, a congressman from Arizona who pushed hard for the Central Arizona Project, which was approved by Congress in 1968. His uncle Stewart Udall, a former Arizona congressman, was secretary of Interior when CAP was approved — by Allen Best, mountaintownnews.net

October 02, 2014 —With Dry Taps and Toilets, California Drought Turns Desperate . . . State officials say that at least 700 households have no access to running water, but they acknowledge that there could be hundreds more, with many rural well-owners not knowing whom to contact. Tulare County, just south of Fresno — nytimes.com

October 02, 2014 —Ban on uranium mining at Grand Canyon upheld by Arizona court — A coalition of conservation groups are hailing an Arizona judge’s decision this week to uphold the Obama administration’s 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims across 1 million acres of public lands adjacent to Grand Canyon — The Guardian

September 23, 2014 —Study: Nevada withdrawals would hurt Snake Valley springs —For years, Snake Valley ranchers and environmentalists have complained Las Vegas’ designs on rural groundwater would wreck their livelihoods and dry up fragile desert ecosystems in Utah’s West Desert. After years of groundwater monitoring and data analysis, new science is now confirming those fears—which are driven by the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) proposal to tap Snake Valley aquifers. The U.S. Geological Survey last week published conclusions that the proposed withdrawals will depress groundwater levels and reduce discharge into the springs that support agriculture in this remote region straddling the Utah-Nevada line west of Delta — sttrib.com [Link to USGS sutdy — Report: 2014-5103]

September 21, 2014 —More drought forecast next year across West — RENO, Nev. Forecasters say severe drought or worse will continue into next year across much of the West, including parts of western Utah, most of Nevada and practically all of California. Below-normal precipitation and normal or above-normal temperatures are forecast in the week ahead, according to the National Weather Service, and experts say the three-year drought isn't likely to be relieved in October, November and December — AP [More Coverage— Truckeeriver.org]

September 18, 2014 —With Close to Average Runoff, Lake Mead Holds Its Own in Late Summer — Lake Mead, the vast reservoir behind iconic Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas, is holding its own in later summer, after plummeting in July past levels not seen since it first filled in the 1930s. The surface elevation of Lake Mead reached the historic low of 1,081.75 feet above sea level during the week of July 7, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. On Aug. 13, the bureau reported the level at 1,080. But as of Wednesday, it had inched back to 1,081.31. — Inewsnetwork.org

September 17, 2014 — Flowing Toward 2050: Utah’s Water Outlook — Utah’s population is projected to grow by 2.5 million people in the next 35 years. The implications of this projected growth are far reaching for state and local agencies and for policy makers. Previous reports in the 2014 population growth series have discussed where growth will occur, who new Utahns will be, and what they will need to continue to have the quality of life that current Utahns enjoy. This report, the third in a four-part series, focuses on the interaction between population growth and future water supply — UtahFoundation.org

September 17, 2014 —Groups appeal decision in Utah nuclear power plant case — SALT LAKE CITY — Environmental groups led by anti-nuclear activists HEAL Utah are challenging a judicial ruling that upheld Utah's decision to allow Green River water to be used in a proposed nuclear power plant . . . “The Colorado River basin is already over-allocated,” said John Weisheit, conservation director of Living Rivers, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit — DeseretNews.com

September 17, 2014 —Sweeping new California groundwater pumping rules signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown — SACRAMENTO — For centuries, California's groundwater has been freely available to anyone who could siphon the coveted natural resource from the earth. But that changed Tuesday with the stroke of a pen. Seeking to replenish a depleted water table and catch up with the rest of the West, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of bills sought by environmentalists that will regulate groundwater pumping for the first time in state history — ContraCostaTimes.com

August 30, 2014 —Commission adopts fracking regulations for Nevada —ELKO, NEV. —A state panel has approved regulations guiding oil and gas exploration companies' use of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, in Nevada. The Commission on Mineral Resources' unanimous decision Thursday in Elko drew criticism from opponents, who say fracking could lead to water contamination, excessive water consumption and earthquake activity — newsobserver.com

August 29, 2014 —
Chance of 'megadrought' in U.S. Southwest now 50%, study concludes— The chance of a "megadrought" gripping the Southwest for more than 30 years has increased to 50%, scientists say, which means bad news for California's already parched landscape. The odds of a 10-year drought afflicting the southwestern U.S. have increased to 80%, according to a new study by Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey — LA Times

August 29, 2014 —[EDITORIAL]Five myths about California’s drought — California is experiencing its third-worst drought in 106 years, resulting in idled cropland and soaring water prices. Since the state produces almost 70 percent of the nation’s top 25 fruit, nut and vegetable crops, California’s pain could soon hit the rest of the country through higher food prices. Will conservation and new water-saving technologies be enough to weather this dry period? Let’s consider five myths about the California drought — Washington.com [Related Story— theepochtimes.com]

August 29, 2014 —US official airs 'myths' on Colorado River water — LAS VEGAS — A top federal water administrator said Friday that several myths stand in the way of broad agreements needed to deal with increasing demand for water in the drought–stricken and over–allocated Colorado River basin.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior Anne Castle told the "Business of Water" conference in Las Vegas that there's no one-step way to avoid the possibility of cuts in water deliveries in the next few years to states including Arizona and Nevada — Gazette.com

August 25, 2014 — 7 GIFs That Will Convince You Just How Scary the Drought in the West Is — From a popular skiing spot to the largest man-made reservoir in North America, these before-and-after photos show why we need to save water] — Most Americans might not feel the thirst just yet, but if the current rate of water consumption continues, they soon will. So here are seven before-and-after GIFs that reveal just how bad the drought has gotten — Takepart.comLake Folsom, July 20, 2011, to Aug. 19, 2014

August 25, 2014 — [PRESS RELEASE]Highly Imperiled Utah Fish Denied Endangered Species Act Protection Least Chub Is Fifth Species in Month Denied Protection by Federal Agency's Rocky Mountain Region — SALT LAKE CITY— In a reversal of a 2010 finding that it deserved federal protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today decided Utah’s
highly imperiled least chub does not warrant Endangered Species Act protection. It’s the fifth such reversal by the agency’s Rocky Mountain Region in less than a month, including the American wolverine, two rare Colorado plants and Montana grayling. Regional administrators haven’t protected a species in more than three years and overall has only protected five species in 14 years, including just three of the 229 protected by the Obama administration so far — Center For Biological Diversity

August 25, 2014 — Utah’s least chub no longer considered for protection — An updated conservation plan for the least chub — and the reconsideration of a proposal to take key groundwater from southwestern Utah — have led federal officials to reverse a decision to include the fish on the Endangered Species List. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that it removed the least chub, found only in Utah in six populations, from the Candidate Species List — sltrib.com

August 22, 2014 —Westinghouse to build Utah nuclear plant — A firm seeking to bring nuclear power to Utah has reached an agreement with Westinghouse Electric Co. to design and build a 1,500-megawatt plant in Emery County. . . Two years ago, the state engineer agreed to let Kane and San Juan counties lease 53,000 acre-feet of water a year to operate the reactor. That’s an amount capable of serving a city of up 200,000 homes . . . sltrib.com

August 21, 2014 —California's wells are going dry now, too — Water supplies are dwindling in California as the state’s historic drought drags on this summer. So, farmers in the state’s multi-billion dollar agricultural industry are looking for water below ground instead. Groundwater is being pumped at record rates, and some of it is being sold for record prices — Marketplace.org

August 20, 2014 —California Has Given Out Rights To Five Times More Water Than It Actually Has — According to a new study, the water rights given out by California amount to five times the amount of surface water the state’s ecosystem can actually provide.The analysis, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that water rights issued since 1914 add up to 370 million acre-feet of water annually, while the surface water that actually flows through the state adds up to just 70 million acre-feet in a good year for precipitation — ThinkProgress.org

August 18, 2014 —L.A. dramatically increases 'water cops' staffing as drought worsens — Los Angeles officials announced Monday they are beefing up their water-wasting patrols. But just don’t call them "water cops." Until now, the Department of Water and Power has assigned just one inspector to drive around handling complaints of water wasting in a city of 4 million people — LA Times

August 17, 2014 — West’s historic drought stokes fears of water crisis — When the winter rains failed to arrive in this Sacramento Valley town for the third straight year, farmers tightened their belts and looked to the reservoirs in the nearby hills to keep them in water through the growing season. When those faltered, some switched on their well pumps, drawing up thousands of gallons from underground aquifer . . . washingtonpost.com

August 14, 2014 —Channeling the Colorado River Delta Back From the Dead — As a matter of geographic trivia, did you ever wonder where the Colorado River drains into the ocean? That's actually kind of a trick question: it doesn't. Like too many of the world's great rivers today -- the Ganges, the Yellow, the Nile, for other distressing examples -- the Colorado River never makes it to the ocean— huffingtonpost.com

August 14, 2014 — Timeline of events in VVWD legal cases — It’s complex, convoluted, and complicated. Such is the case when you have multiple legal actions working all at once like those involving the Virgin Valley Water District and former District officials. The Mesquite Citizen Journal has been reporting on the VVWD lawsuits for almost two and a half years with the intent to keep the public informed. One MCJ reader suggested a few weeks ago that we publish a synopsis and timeline to help make it easier to follow and understand what the lawsuits are all about. We agree so here is a list of the players, a brief outline of the two water right sale transactions at the heart of the legal actions, and a timeline of events spanning 13 years — By Barbara Ellestad — MesquiteCitizen.com/

August 14, 2014 —More Lake Powell water headed to struggling Lake Mead — One of the main reservoirs in the vast Colorado River water system that is struggling to serve the booming Southwest will get more water this year, but that won't be enough to pull Lake Mead back from near-record lows . . . Scott Huntley of the Southern Nevada Water Authority said the agency isn't expecting any major difficulties, even if shortages are declared for the Colorado River water because of conservation and water reuse programs — azdailysun.com[More Coverage— RJ.com]

August 07, 2014 —Exploitation of West’s natural resources, natives unreal — Judith Nies doesn’t leave the environmental optimists and desert daydreamers among us much room for hope in her new book, “Unreal City: Las Vegas, Black Mesa and the Fate of the West.” But as she sees it, those are the cards we’ve dealt ourselves. Her history of the region and the brutal political maneuvering that helped facilitate the rise of Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles is thoroughly engaging and at times heartbreaking. From the profligate wasting of water . . . JOHN L. SMITH LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

August 06, 2014 —Property bill could include water basin assessment fee [Elko, Nevada] . . . Mark Sivazlian, engineer with the Nevada Division of Water Resources, said the division designates and monitors many water basins in the state, and the assessment helps cover the costs — ElkoDaily.com

August 05, 2014 —40 Million People Depend on the Colorado River. Now It's Drying Up —Science papers don't generate much in the way of headlines, so you'll be forgiven if you haven't heard of one called "Groundwater Depletion During Drought Threatens Future Water Security of the Colorado River Basin," recently published by University of California-Irvine and NASA researchers — MotherJones.com

August 05, 2014 —Drought forces some boats from shrinking Great Salt Lake in Utah — Drought forced an early end to the sailing season for some Utah enthusiasts on Monday as a huge crane lifted boats out of the Great Salt Lake State Park Marina, where officials say the water is at its lowest level for more than 50 years — Reuters

July 31, 2014 —Forest Service groundwater plan draws Western ire — Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell describes his proposed groundwater directive as a way to improve the agency’s ability to understand groundwater resources so it can become a better and more consistent partner to States, tribes and others. But 40 western congressmen, including Idaho’s entire Republican delegation, say the proposal will limit access to public lands and interfere with state and private water rights. In short, it’s a federal water grab —idahostatesman.com

July 30, 2014 —Groundwater Depletion in Colorado River Basin Poses Big Risk to Water Security — Let’s step back for a minute and consider the implications of the study released last week on the depletion of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin.
For anyone concerned about the future of the American West, the findings of this study – which was published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and conducted by a team of scientists from NASA, the University of California-Irvine, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado — can make the heart pound — nationalgeographic.com

July 26, 2014 —West's water worries rise as Lake Mead falls . . . Like a giant measuring stick in the desert, the dropping water level of Lake Mead, the nation's largest man-made reservoir, provides a vivid representation of the drought that is gripping the Southwest and much of the West — USA Today

July 26, 20014 —Farmers drilling deeper for water as drought drags on — On a dusty clearing between a fallow wheat field and wilting orange groves, Steve Arthur's crew of two mud-splattered well drillers worked furiously to deliver a lifeline to another despondent farmer LA Latimes

July 24, 2014 —In Colorado River Basin, Groundwater Is Disappearing Much Faster than Lake Mead — The mineral-stained canyon walls and the plunging water levels at Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, are the most visible signs of the driest 14-year period in the Colorado River Basin’s historical record. But the receding shorelines at the Basin’s major reservoirs — including Lake Mead, which fell to a record-low level this month, and Lake Powell, the second largest reservoir on the Colorado, 290 kilometers (180 miles) upstream from Mead — are an insignificant hydrological change compared to the monumental disruption taking place underground — CircleofBlue.org

July 20, 2014 —Colorado River must go with a better flow [By TICK SEGERBLOM] — I grew up with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the architect of the Colorado River’s network of dams and reservoirs that now plumbs societies of 35 million people across the Southwest. My birthplace was the town that built Hoover Dam, Reclamation’s icon and longtime model for water engineers worldwide. Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, was my backyard, water skiing a cherished pastime. Reclamation’s handiwork was something to behold, but when I visit there now, I’m not so sure — RJ.com

July 15, 2014 —Water official: Vegas not running dry — A new week has brought another record low to Lake Mead, but the man in charge of the Las Vegas Valley’s water supply doesn’t sound worried. Though the reservoir is falling, said Southern Nevada Water Authority chief John Entsminger, the sky isn’t — RJ.com

July 14, 2014 —Arizona Enlists a Beetle in Its Campaign for Water — LEES FERRY, Ariz. — In this corner of America known for its vast landscapes, rugged mountains and deep river canyons, signs of the havoc created by the minuscule tamarisk beetle are everywhere — NyTimes.com

July 08, 2014— Water levels at Lake Mead drop to new low, officials say — Drought in the southwestern U.S. will deplete the vast Lake Mead this week to levels not seen since Hoover Dam was completed and the reservoir on the Colorado River was filled in the 1930s, federal water managers said Tuesday — AP

July 07, 2014 —Lake Mead Drains to Record Low As Western Drought Deepens — Lake Mead — America’s largest reservoir, Las Vegas’ main water source, and an important indicator for water supplies in the Southwest — will fall this week to its lowest level since 1937 when the manmade lake was first being filled, according to forecasts from the federal Bureau of Reclamation — www.circleofblue.org

July 02, 2014 —The race to stop Las Vegas from running dry — Outside Las Vegas’s Bellagio hotel tourists gasp in amazement as fountains shoot 500ft into the air, performing a spectacular dance in time to the music of Frank Sinatra.
Gondolas ferry honeymooners around canals modelled on those of Venice, Roman-themed swimming pools stretch for acres, and thousands of sprinklers keep golf courses lush in the middle of the desert. But, as with many things in Sin City, the apparently endless supply of water is an illusion —The Telegraph UK

June 30, 2014 — How We Should Pay For Water — We Americans are lucky. When we wake up in the morning and turn on the faucet, we have access to a limitless amount of water for less than we pay for cellphone service. This has allowed most of us to think of water as we think about air: as infinite and inexhaustible. But our water supply is fixed and finite — Ny Times.com

June 27, 2014 — Festival in Baker fights ‘Water Grab —Before the Snake Valley Festival parade even started, five teenagers from Baker unfurled several long paper signs. When they held them up end to end they read “Fountains in a desert no longer possible.” It was just one of many displays that Baker, like many surrounding towns, are not going to sit idly while Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) tries to siphon water from rural Nevada through a pipeline down to Las Vegas — Ely Times

June 24, 2014 —
Reflecting on groundwater from the Owens Valley Watershed
— Sometimes we hunt for the trappings of a thing rather than the thing itself. Near the surface, desert groundwater leaves unmistakable tracks: Sky-blue tiger beetles stab their long jaws into the wet clay in March; pink and yellow shooting stars bloom in the 100-plus degree heat of early June; red-and-black desert blister beetles helicopter from bloom to bloom on white-flowered rabbitbrush in September, whether or not rain fell that year. Underground water has no regard for weather. When it's nearby, plants and animals spring up above it as regularly as carved cuckoos from clockwork — High Country News

June 20, 2014Water war bubbling up between California and Arizona — The year was 1934, and Arizona was convinced that the construction of Parker Dam on the lower Colorado River was merely a plot to enable California to steal its water rights. Its governor, Benjamin Moeur, dispatched a squad of National Guardsmen up the river to secure the eastern bank from the decks of the ferryboat Julia B. — derisively dubbed "Arizona's navy" by a Times war correspondent assigned to cover the skirmish. After the federal government imposed a truce, the guardsmen returned home as "conquering heroes." The next water war between California and Arizona won't be such an amusing little affair. And it's coming soon. — LA Times

June 11, 214 —Lake Mead shortage could mean water cuts — When it comes to getting water for area crops, most area farmers are not looking to the sky for help. Instead, they look to Lake Mead to monitor the water level in determining what their future will hold — TrivalleyCentral.com

May 28, 2014 —Las Vegas Biggestg Water Users — Some folks like living in the desert – as long as they have all the water you’d expect to have in a tropical rain forest and for cheap. Picture the mansion and property of one wealthy individual using 8.3 million gallons (25 acre-feet) of water a year for a mere $28,000 – just $0.0034 per gallon or right around 1/3 cent for a gallon of water. Good grief - the water agencies are enablers of excessive water use in the driest desert in North America! — 8newssnow.com

April 25, 2014 A 5-part series Rob Mrowka talks with Las Vegas Channel 3 owner, Jim Rogers, about water and alternatives to the SNWA pipeline. To see the series use the following URLs.
Part 1:Part 2:Part 3:Part 4:Part 5:

April 09, 2014 —Water district, authority lay off 101 workers, merge engineering departments — More than 100 public employees are losing their jobs as part of ongoing restructuring at the valley’s two largest water agencies. The Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District began laying off 101 full-time workers Wednesday as the wholesale water supplier and its largest member utility shift their focus from chasing growth to maintaining existing infrastructure — RJ.com

March 16, 2014 —Pipeline Foes Sue Feds; Big Win in District Court —A broad coalition of citizens’ groups, Native American Tribes and rural governmental entities filed a lawsuit on February 12, 2014 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas seeking to overturn the U.S. Department of Interior’s decision to approve the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Groundwater Development Project and issue a right-of-way for a nearly 265 mile-long pipeline to suck billions of gallons of water away from rural areas and convey it to Las Vegas — GBWN Water Grab Newsletter

February 06, 2014 —Water authority, state engineer appeal pipeline ruling — The fate of the Southern Nevada Water Authority—s pipeline project is back in the hands of the Nevada Supreme Court. As expected, both the authority and the state’s top water regulator have launched appeals of a Dec. 13 District Court decision that effectively set aside water rights granted for the controversial pipeline project. Senior District Judge Robert Estes ruled that State Engineer Jason King has more work to do before allowing the authority to sink its wells in four lonesome valleys in Lincoln and White Pine counties — RJ.com

January 08, 2013 — Water Needs and Wants — How much water do communities in the arid western United States need to survive? It depends on what the public decides to do with the water. Fundamental ethical considerations, policy debates, and planning concerns must be addressed to adequately answer this question. As a society how do we ensure that our wants for water do not imperil the human and ecosystem need for water? Joanna Endter-Wada 18 min

January 15, 2014 —Commentary: Fill (Lake) Mead First — [By THOMAS MITCHELL] The Glen Canyon Institute, headquartered in Salt Lake City, describes itself as dedicated to the restoration of Glen Canyon and the Colorado River to their natural states prior to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and the filling of Lake Powell — Elkodaily.com

January 15, 2014 —
Water Authority appeals decision blocking pipeline — CARSON CITY — The state and the Southern Nevada Water Authority are appealing a decision that would block piping 84,000 acre feet of water from rural Nevada to Las Vegas. Senior Deputy Attorney General Cassandra Jones, representing the state, said today a notice of appeal was filed Friday with the Nevada Supreme Court — Las Vegas Sun

January 07, 2014 —Entsminger appointed to head Las Vegas Water District — n more than 20 years as water czar, Pat Mulroy has developed a reputation for getting what she wants. On Tuesday, she was handed what could be her final victory when the Clark County Commission unanimously approved her handpicked successor without opening the post to other candidates — RJ.com

January 05, 2014 —Colorado River Drought Forces a Painful Reckoning for States — LAKE MEAD, Nev. — The sinuous Colorado River and its slew of man-made reservoirs from the Rockies to southern Arizona are being sapped by 14 years of drought nearly unrivaled in 1,250 years. The once broad and blue river has in many places dwindled to a murky brown trickle — NyTimes.com

January 06, 2014 —Power plays muddy selection of water czar — When it comes to choosing a leader for Nevada’s biggest water agency the process is as clear as Lake Mead mud. So far names of two men angling to fill the dual role about to be vacated by Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District general manager Patricia Mulroy have bubbled to the surface — RJ.com